I appreciate your taking the time out to reply to my question, jimmi55lp.....

If a '52 were to have a serial number, it would be 2-???? and as far as most pundits know, there are none. My inclusion of the words "pre-serial" alongside '52 was for completeness of description, and I do realise the tautology of this - my apologies if it offended you..... although it is worth noting that some solid bodied Gibsons from 1952 have a three digit number stamped on the top of the headstock (moving round to the back in 1953) before the Y-NNNN format was adopted. Personally I have never seen this, but that information has been formally published by Gibson.

However, my question was specifically about the images in post #97.....

The guitar pictured in post #97 of this thread, as apparently ALL 52's, DOES have "PAT / PENDING" on the trapeze mounting plate between the screws. My question was regarding the words "Les Paul / MODEL" which also appear on the front surface of that plate shown in post #97. I was wondering when it was used if indeed it was officially, and if not - how come the guitar shown in post #97 DOES have it.

Click to expand...

That trapeze trows me to with Les Paul Model on top of mounting plate? I've seen a guy thats had one with the same inscription on Ebay for many weeks now, and He finally answered me last week with the lengths of the rods from that mount plate pivot point to the ends of the threads that pass thru the wrap bar, they were 8 1/4 " and the other was something less and I told him those weren't for a 1952/53 Les Paul trapeze because they're one inch to long and the mount had 4 screw holes. with an extra tab that hung below for a much thicker body. He didn't want to believe me untill I told him I have 2 1952s with both measuring less than his and without the extra tab. He asked if I could tell him what it fits and I said I know very little about any Gibson made after 1967/68 but I think it came on the dbl cut all gold acoustic electric with F holes that was shaped like an ES-335 and Gibson had an ad with a guy with a shag hairdcut that looked like Tony Orlando playing one standing in a photo ad with a Jaggermiester look on his face. Those were called Les Paul Model and I think they were sold in the mid to late 70s. I bought a trapeze like his years ago and when it arived I had to send it back for refund because it wasn't for a 52/53 GT. Every so often I see the ad photo listed on Ebay.

Hi guys.
Just bought this old(?) thing on ebay. Hopefully I can find the right saddles and screws for it so I can use it. But how old is it...? The newer ABR1, on my gibsies at least, dont have that patent stamp...

It's been an 18 month project. I've been burned on some fakes, and picked up a few spares, but I'm finally there. All the parts are 56-60 except the pickguard (a cut '53) and the rings, which are 70's M-69's but will probably end up being Bartlett's on the final project.

Attached Files:

My favorite vintage part. The knob on the left has red dye that has bled into it over time.

At first notice, I day dreamed that maybe, just maybe, it was pulled from an original burst. I got it from a vintage dealer I've known for 25 years.

I called back and asked if he remembered where it came from. He had it since 1972-74. He remembers it coming off of a cherry '59-60 DC junior special. Which doesn't really add up, because those knobs should have been black.

Still a cool part though.

Attached Files:

It's been an 18 month project. I've been burned on some fakes, and picked up a few spares, but I'm finally there. All the parts are 56-60 except the pickguard (a cut '53) and the rings, which are 70's M-69's but will probably end up being Bartlett's on the final project.

Click to expand...

Woah! Must be about $15k of parts right there! Hope you've got some good wood to hold it all together?

That trapeze trows me to with Les Paul Model on top of mounting plate? I've seen a guy thats had one with the same inscription on Ebay for many weeks now, and He finally answered me last week with the lengths of the rods from that mount plate pivot point to the ends of the threads that pass thru the wrap bar, they were 8 1/4 " and the other was something less and I told him those weren't for a 1952/53 Les Paul trapeze because they're one inch to long and the mount had 4 screw holes. with an extra tab that hung below for a much thicker body. He didn't want to believe me untill I told him I have 2 1952s with both measuring less than his and without the extra tab. He asked if I could tell him what it fits and I said I know very little about any Gibson made after 1967/68 but I think it came on the dbl cut all gold acoustic electric with F holes that was shaped like an ES-335 and Gibson had an ad with a guy with a shag hairdcut that looked like Tony Orlando playing one standing in a photo ad with a Jaggermiester look on his face. Those were called Les Paul Model and I think they were sold in the mid to late 70s. I bought a trapeze like his years ago and when it arived I had to send it back for refund because it wasn't for a 52/53 GT. Every so often I see the ad photo listed on Ebay.

Click to expand...

Sorry for the necro-bump, but the longer trap-bridges are for ES-295s and ES-225s, and not on the Les Paul Signatures.

To Kim.
Do you or anyone else know what the gear ratio is on those old Grover Rotomatic tuners that Kim posted pictures of on page 1?
Currently Grover only supply ratios of 14:1 and 18:1 in their 102 series. Would early 60's gear ratios for tuners fitted to LP Custom have been 14:1 ?